Police say Louisiana woman may have set herself ablaze, not KKK

Police have announced they have evidence that Sharmeka Moffitt, the 20-year-old Louisiana woman who alleged that three men in white hoods set her on fire and wrote "KKK" on the hood of her car, may have fabricated her story.

According to the Daily Mail, Winnsboro Police Chief Lester Martin, announced during a news conference at Franklin Parish Courthouse Tuesday that Moffitt may have fabricated the story that she was attacked by men in white T-Shirt hoodies presumed to be KKK members.

Franklin Parish Sheriff Kevin Cobb, said forensic evidence suggests that Moffitt set herself on fire and then concocted the KKK story.

According to Cobb: "Basically we had to follow the facts. This was a disturbing case for all involved. All indications show this was a self-inflicted situation."

Police said the evidence suggests it was Moffitt who wrote "KKK" and a racial slur on the hood of her Buick LaCross with toothpaste.

According to Shreveport Police, they found Moffitt's DNA on the can of lighter fluid she claimed was used to burn her. They also found her fingerprints on the lighter that was allegedly used to start the fire.

Moffitt had told police on Sunday that her attackers doused her in lighter fluid and set her on fire while she walked through the Civitan Park around 8 p.m. According to Digital Journal, she said she extinguished the fire using water from a spigot.

The Huffington Post reports Moffitt's sister Michelle, said she saw the word "n*****"" on her sister's car.

She reportedly said: "She called 911, then she called me. She said she had been burned, she had been set on fire. I stayed on the phone until I got (to the park) even though she wasn't able to say anything."

The Daily Mail reports it is not known why she set herself on fire and why she lied that her injuries were inflicted by three men in white hoods. However, she remains in critical condition at the hospital with burns on 60 percent of her body, police say.

According to the Daily Mail, Moffitt's family issued a statement apologizing for the embarrassing turn of event. The statement said: "Our family is devastated to learn the circumstances surrounding our daughter's injuries. While this was not the resolution we had expected, it's a resolution, and we appreciate the thorough investigation by the local and state police as well as federal agencies."

The statement, according to the The Huffington Post, continued: "We are sincerely sorry for any problems this may have caused and wish to express our appreciation for the outpouring of love, prayers and support we have received from friends, acquaintances, church organizations and government officials. Over the coming days and weeks, our focus will be on Sharmeka and her recovery."

A Facebook page, "Prayers for Sharmeka Moffit," has nearly 50,000 "likes." After the news that Moffittt may have fabricated the story, the administrator of the page posted the message:

"I am now reading a report that Sharmeka Moffitt may have fabricated this story for attention. I am not a part of this girl's family, but when I created this page, I made it with the intention of supporting a young girl who had been victimized in a small town and may have not had proper media attention on her story. The SUPPORT and PRAYERS you have all given this girl have been TREMENDOUS, all of our hearts were in the right place. This was at the very least a great exercise in us all coming together. Hopefully if this IS a fabrication, Sharmeka Moffitt will formally apologize to all of us... when she is well. To think a young girl would even do this to herself is troubling in itself, we may have to still Pray for Her."